Calay News
Sweden has announced the construction of the world’s first permanent electric road, which will allow cars and trucks to be charged on the move, Euronews reports. This revolutionary project will consist of a 21-kilometer stretch between the cities of Hallsberg and rebro, on the E20 European route, and construction is expected to begin in 2025, once the contracting phase is completed.
The Swedish transport administration sees electrification as key to decarbonizing the transport sector, so they are working on a number of solutions. Although this is not the first time Sweden has built an electric road, as in 2018, they inaugurated an electric vehicle charging lane in Stockholm, this new initiative represents a significant move towards more sustainable mobility.
The charging method for this road has not yet been determined, as there are different aspects to consider. For example, the catenary system using overhead wires can only be used for heavy vehicles. Jan Pettersson, Director of Strategic Development at the Swedish Transport Administration, highlights the challenge of keeping heavy vehicles charged and points out that relying solely on static charging of full batteries would create additional weight on the vehicles.
For private cars, the inductive system, which involves installing special equipment under the road to send electricity to a coil in the electric vehicle, is considered more advantageous.
This Swedish initiative is part of the European Union’s efforts to achieve zero CO2 emissions in the transport sector. The European Parliament recently approved a ban on the sale of diesel and gasoline cars and vans starting in 2035. Countries such as Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and India are also working on the infrastructure needed to promote fossil fuel-free mobility. Sweden has ambitious plans to build 300 kilometers of electric roads by 2045. However, some experts believe that it is not necessary to electrify all of the country’s roads, as electrifying only 25% would be sufficient for the system to operate efficiently.
